Ethan Crossfield 
With Nintendo continuing to expand Nintendo Switch Online’s classic libraries, the GameCube app on Switch 2 has its next two confirmed additions—but the company is still keeping quiet on when players will actually get them. Nintendo has already decided what comes next for the GameCube lineup, even as fans watch the release cadence for what’s missing.
What’s confirmed for the GameCube app—and what’s not
The GameCube app is exclusive to Nintendo Switch 2 and is available to subscribers with an active Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership. Launched alongside Switch 2 in June 2025, the app sits within the Nintendo Classics lineup and offers a curated selection of GameCube titles.
Nintendo’s plans for the next entries are no longer a mystery: the next two games coming to the GameCube app have been confirmed as Super Mario Sunshine and Pokemon Colosseum. However, Nintendo has not published a release date for either title, leaving the community to wait for the next update cycle.
That uncertainty matters because the app has had a visible rhythm. The most recent game released on the GameCube app as of March 2026 was Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, and Nintendo previously pushed an update in April to address an issue affecting that same title. Beyond that, Nintendo’s future roadmap details have been sparse.
Why Sunshine and Colosseum are still absent
Super Mario Sunshine and Pokemon Colosseum were both hinted during the GameCube app’s initial reveal in an April 2025 Nintendo Direct, but they have not yet appeared in the app’s catalog. The absence is especially noticeable given that only nine GameCube titles have been released via Nintendo Switch Online since Switch 2 launched.
Super Mario Sunshine originally debuted in Japan in July 2002 and reached Western audiences a month later. As the second 3D entry in the Super Mario series, it takes place on Isle Delfino, where Mario must clean up graffiti after Shadow Mario kidnaps Princess Peach. The game also stands out for having full voice acting in its cutscenes—an approach Nintendo later scaled back in subsequent 3D Super Mario titles following player feedback tied to Sunshine.
Pokemon Colosseum, meanwhile, is a JRPG that originally released in Japan in November 2003, later arriving in North America and Europe by spring 2004. Unlike earlier Pokemon games, it avoids random encounters, featuring a system where players can “snag” Shadow Pokemon from other trainers. It also connects to Gen 3 titles such as Pokemon Emerald and Pokemon FireRed through the GameCube’s Game Boy Advance adapter cable. Because Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness is a sequel to Colosseum, the continued gap between the two remains a point of confusion for fans.
Current GameCube app lineup—and what to watch next
As of July 18, 2026, the GameCube app includes the following titles: Chibi-Robo! Plug Into Adventure!, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, F-Zero GX, Luigi’s Mansion, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, Soulcalibur 2, Super Mario Strikers, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, and Wario World.
Nintendo has previously re-released Super Mario Sunshine on Switch via the Super Mario 3D All-Stars collection, but that compilation was delisted from the eShop in March 2021. With both confirmed next entries still awaiting an official GameCube app launch date, the main question for subscribers is simple: when will Nintendo schedule the next update that finally brings Sunshine and Colosseum into the lineup?
Key points
- Nintendo has confirmed the next GameCube app titles for Switch 2: Super Mario Sunshine and Pokemon Colosseum.
- No release dates have been shared, despite both being hinted at during the app’s April 2025 reveal.
- The GameCube app is Switch 2–exclusive and requires Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership.
- As of March 2026, the latest addition was Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, following an April update to address an issue for that game.
Confirmed next entries vs. current catalog
| Category | GameCube app titles |
|---|---|
| Currently available (July 18, 2026) | Chibi-Robo! Plug Into Adventure!, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, F-Zero GX, Luigi’s Mansion, Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness, Soulcalibur 2, Super Mario Strikers, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker, Wario World |
| Next confirmed (date TBD) | Super Mario Sunshine, Pokemon Colosseum |
Expert View
Nintendo’s decision to confirm the next two GameCube classics while withholding timing suggests a careful, step-by-step content cadence for Switch 2’s classic offerings. For the community, it turns the GameCube app into more of a “watchlist” service—where players track updates as much as they play the library. For major franchises like Super Mario and Pokemon, landing these two particular titles next also signals Nintendo’s intent to keep momentum around recognizable, high-demand GameCube-era games, especially given how closely Pokemon XD: Gale of Darkness already sits to Colosseum in the series timeline.
